Paradise
by TrainwreckPress
Summary: This is how I envision Rayna and Deacon's reconnection. It starts out in episode 1x14 which is called 'Dear Brother'. I will be incorporating some scenes from the shows and also making my own.
1. Chapter 1: Songwriting

**Chapter 1: Songwriting  
**

Rayna entered the music room and sat in front of the piano. If she couldn't sleep, she might as well get a song out of it.

Trying to get an idea, she brainstormed on the mess she called her life. _What should the song be? Regret? Divorce? Heartache? Sleep? _Rayna traveled on her train of thoughts and fought herself to make up a single phrase that might give some direction. _I need a drink. I need a drink right now. _

Rayna got up and went into the kitchen. She poured herself some red wine, not bothering to look at what kind it was. She walked back to the piano and sat down. She took a sip of the wine she was firmly holding and closed her eyes as she felt the warm liquid trail down her throat. It wasn't strong, but at least it's something. _Oh, I need something stronger than_ _this. Hell, I need something stronger than me. _

Rayna found herself smiling as she reached for the pencil and wrote the phrase down. _Yes! That's good but I need it to sound desperate. _She took another sip of her wine and soon finished it off. She grabbed the bottle and poured her more of the dark, red liquid. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and gripped the pencil as she scratched off the first two words of the phrase. _There! It makes so much more sense. Pour me something stronger than me. _

The verses practically built themselves as the words raced through her brain, finding each and every one of them on the yellow paper. Rayna's scars were so deep that thousands of phrases could fill them and this song hinted only a fraction of her pain.

Rayna fiddled with the piano until she could find a chord progression that was bittersweet as her voice harmonized with the melody. She stopped, remembering how that sound was a little familiar to the song that she wrote with Deacon. It was the song they both wrote before he went back to rehab for the fourth time.

Rayna eyed her reflection on the shiny dark surface of the piano, loathing the way her face expressed unhappiness and regret and broken in so many ways possible. She couldn't stand the idea of lying by laughing through all the pain and simply answering "fine" with every question that interrogated her feelings as she try to go on with her life. All she wanted to do was scream the truth to the world and hope that they would understand what she was feeling inside. To take all the weight of the lies she have kept trying to glue all of the things she wanted together when they weren't supposed to be. To rip off the mask of smiles whenever people see her and expect everything of her to be perfect.

Perfect. Her world is everything but perfect. But she has learned how to live with it, knowing life could never be truly perfect. And if it could be, she'd know that she wouldn't live long enough to see that happen. But even with the thin likeliness of it all, she wished that she could relive every moment of her life the way it was supposed to be lived, to figure out where she stood in the middle of it all and to put everything in its place. But the puzzle pieces that she thought were in the right places just created a picture of hell that would hurt every single person that was linked to her life.

Oh, how did it all become so hard to grasp? Just a year ago, she had it all in the palm of her hands. Everything was occurring the way she had intended it to. And now her career that was once buzzing with new experiences and so many shades of happiness is now sliding from its peak position from the mountain of success, her family has turned into strangers to one another, and then the feud between Deacon and Teddy and Daddy that was once civil now turned into a silent, deadly battle right out of the blue. The battle that had shaped her decisions over the years, the battle to win the prize they all wanted. _Me_. They all wanted a part of her, but she could only give it to one man. The same man who once had it and broke it and still has it. He had a death grip on her heart that she was never willing to loosen no matter how much she wanted it to. All along, by every passing minute that turned into hours that turned into days to months and then into years, it all slipped through her fingers unnoticed until the day they all escaped. Escaped from her desperate hands and coming back to cross the line she never dared to tread on.

These feelings and thoughts were plainly easy to see on the shiny surface of the piano that has brought life to her songs, the songs that were about happiness, love, heartbreak, confusion, guilt, regret, and everything that described her very soul. These were the same songs that she have shared with the world and knowing that they could relate to it. But they could never fully understand the meaning of the simple words and phrases that she's poured into these ballads. No one could, except for Deacon.

He's the only man for her and she's the only one for him. They both knew it but things were too complicated. Over the years, the glances that were never innocent, the quick accidental contact of skin that electrified them both, and when he held her hand after they sung their song at the Bluebird a while back were the simple things that they were allowed to do. And even those mindless actions were forbidden in their unspoken rule because they always end up relenting it.

Rayna's lips curled slightly as she lingered in the memory. The memory when he placed his hand on hers and gently caressed it with his calloused fingers was so familiar. Too familiar that it could have led to something else if they happened to be alone in that room. He has made Rayna the happiest woman to ever live whenever he smiled and sung in his angelic voice. Whenever he would touch her, it would echo so many words that she could never describe.

But living her whole life in a privileged world, she knew her happiness was always too good to last. She was waiting for it, actually. And it proved her right when Deacon entered the shady world of alcoholism. Almost every night, she would discover him drunk in bars and looking for a fight. Every night when Deacon was nowhere to be found, she was too scared to answer the phone calls that either told her where he was or if he was dead. The tears that came flooding in when she was alone knowing that at the same moment he was taking so many shots that anyone could get dizzy trying to count. Those shots that made her want to cancel so many shows because he was missing or passed out backstage. And because he wasn't in the position to perform, she had to sing all of their duets alone. The duets that they both wrote together in the moments of passion and love were so meaningless every time he wasn't by her side singing the harmonies back with her.

These memories sure perfected the song she's staring at right now. This song reminded the pain she has endured throughout this whole situation and will remind the person she fell in love with the pain they have both caused each other. Having all the lyrics and chords down, Rayna was too tired to go back upstairs. Instead, she fell asleep on the couch near the piano, her worries and fears being temporarily carried by the pads of paper beside her.


	2. Chapter 2: A Surprise Visit

**Thank you for all the views and the reviews! It is very much appreciated and welcome. Forgetting to do this at the first chapter but these characters aren't mine and belongs to ABC and Callie Khouri with every right. This is the second chapter and I hope you would like it enough to join my journey until the end. I'm an amateur who is in love with Deyna and writing so I wanted to give it a try. Any constructive criticism is welcome and very much needed. Well, I'm going to stop withholding you and get you going. Happy readings! **

**Chapter 2: A Surprise Visit**

Rayna awoke to the warm rays of the sunshine. She smiled as she gazed at the piano where her new song sat. She gently stood up and made her way to the kitchen and started the coffee maker. Remembering that the girls were with their aunt, she glanced at the wall. Two more hours until the girls come home from their Aunt Tandy. She grabbed the kettle and poured the coffee on a green mug and set it on the island counter. She made her way to the fridge and took out the milk. She surrounded the mug with both of her hands and took a long sip, sighing at the way the caffeine cleared her head.

Although, her peace didn't last as the doorbell rang. Groaning, she walked to the door and peeked through the hole and saw Teddy. Agitated and shocked at the same time, she opened the door and greeted him with a smile that she could muster.

"What are you doing here, Teddy?" she asked.

"I just wanted to talk and to apologize," he responded.

"And apologize for what?" Rayna said sarcastically.

"Can I come in?"

Rayna eyed him suspiciously, but she soon stepped aside to let him in. She walked past him and went to the direction of the kitchen, with Teddy following.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked, out of hospitality.

"It's okay, I just wanted to talk."

Rayna stood across him, leaning on the counter. It was awkward to them, being this close. Rayna waited for him to utter a word but he just stood there, looking down on the ground. She suspected that it took a lot of courage for him to come and knock on her door and talk.

"So… Are you gonna talk or what?" she pointed, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, but…um… first of all, you need to let me finish. I don't know how you are going to react to all this but you have to let me finish. I'm almost positive that you are going to hate me for this, but you have to let me finish. 'Cause I'm about to come clean."

Rayna was too perplexed to speak, trying to gather in her strength to fight what was about to unfold. Her marriage with Teddy wasn't successful, but she still knew him. She knew that he knows the things that will make her go crazy and explode into bombs of anger. But, at the same time, she was interested and curious about what he had to say. She met Teddy's eyes for a moment, trying to get a better outlook on what this was all about. Rayna simply nodded, crossing her arms, armoring herself for the attack.

"It's true… I cheated on you. I cheated on you with Peggy more than once. But in my defense, you were out on the road with Deacon and we got into a fight when it first happened. I was broken and I just met with Peggy and we talked. But it led to something else. I'm not saying that I didn't see it coming. Actually, I made the first move. I guess it was just a blind revenge. I was angry and I didn't know what you were doing for weeks. I mean, seriously, could you blame me for being jealous? You and I both know that I can never mount to Dea-"

"When did it happen?" she blurted out without thinking. It was just all too much too bear. All the years of the accusations Teddy made suspecting if Deacon and her slept together. Every single time that Deacon was brought up in a conversation, it always ends up with them fighting and making up days later and starting all over again. For all those times that drove Rayna up to the wall with all the guilt and shame she felt, when all along, Teddy cheated on her.

When she met without any response, she tried again.

"When did it first happen?" she asked, now with more force.

"April 21st, 2008… I'm really sorry," he whispered. It was barely audible but Rayna heard it crystal clear.

Her hand shook, gripping her sweater. "You cheated on our anniversary…"

Rayna lost her voice. She remembered that night. She was supposed to go back to Nashville but instead, she stayed on the road and performed in an added venue. She remembered that fight with Teddy on the phone. They were firing so many hurtful words for hours. Teddy accused her of not taking their marriage more seriously and that all she cared about was her career. It dragged on and on and on until it moved to Deacon, where he suspected that she was hiding something. That day particularly stood out, but not because of the fight, it was because of what happened next.

Five years ago, Rayna was in her trailer after a show and Teddy had called. They became a battle for words and a waterfall of tears. After a few minutes that passed, Teddy and Rayna fell silent on the line and she just gave up and hung up. She was on the floor and she had an instant realization that Deacon and Bucky might have overheard her whole conversation. And as if by on cue, there was a soft knock on her door. She stood up and opened it slowly and found Deacon, staring at her sympathetically. He walked inside without invitation and closed the door behind him.

Their eyes were glued to each other for a long time. Rayna could still make out the concern on his face; the way his forehead creased. They didn't say anything for a long time and in an attempt to clear up the tension in the air, Rayna spoke.

"Deacon, did you hear any-"

"Yeah, all of it, I'm really sorry Ray."

Rayna couldn't speak as she chocked back her tears, trying to hide it from Deacon's sight but to no avail. Rayna felt Deacon's arms around her, and feeling his hand on her neck and the other making circles on her back. She welcomed him in, wrapping her own around his midsection. She held him as tight as she could, sending him a silent message that she wanted him here. She cried and cried, her tears blending in with Deacon's shirt. She stayed in his arms for a long time and then Deacon released her and cupped her cheeks with both of his warm hands and stared in her eyes. He brushed away her tears with his thumb and smiled at her. She smiled back weakly but she didn't make any progress as he leaned in on her.


	3. Chapter 3: Flashback

**Sorry for a day late and here's chapter three! I hope it did them both justice and I hope you review! Bad review or good review, I don't care. I also want to thank Rachel Wilder for being an amazing editing goddess! Please review with a cherry on top? Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3**

Rayna relived that scene five years ago in slow motion. She remembered that in a quick processing of what was about to happen, she reached up for his neck and pulled him in. Their lips made contact and her world started to fade away. Every worry, every bad memory, every bad fight, anything that cause her so much misery began to disappear with just one touch from Deacon. Deacon's tongue met her upper lip, asking for permission to enter. As soon as Rayna granted it, their tongue danced with each other, their kiss deepening by the second. They probed around in each other's mouth, reminding them of what they had missed for years.

Feeling the urge to step into the next level, she unbuttoned his shirt slowly. Deacon was shocked by her bold move and followed suit. He unzipped her dress in a painfully slow manner and caressed her back at the same time. He shoved his shirt off as all the buttons came undone and Rayna pulled down her dress. Deacon drove her backwards to the bed and gently placed her on the mattress. He crawled on top of her, mesmerized by how beautiful she looked, even when she was covered in tears. Rayna looped her fingers around his belt loop, pulling him closer and welcoming him by the attack of her lips. They have both missed each other in so many ways that they were hungry for another touch, another kiss.

Deacon's lips moved down from her lips to her neck, gently sucking her soft skin. Rayna moaned in his touch as he made progress on her chest, placing soft kisses She tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging it gently to pull him back up. Once his eyes were leveled with her, she smiled at him and kissed the corner of his mouth. Their kisses grew ever so deep, aggressively attaching each other. Then, Rayna reached for his belt buckle and undid it.

Deacon felt Rayna's desperate need to forget everything that transpired on that conversation on the phone. And he has wanted this for so long, to be like one with Rayna, just like old times when they would lose themselves to each other. But the way this has been happening, it felt wrong. No matter how much he loved Rayna or how much she loved him, she was still married. She took a vow to another man and he didn't want to be the cause of the outfall of her marriage. He hated Teddy as soon as he heard the news that they were getting ready to walk the aisle, but if Deacon was him, he would be hurt if his wife cheated on him. Deacon didn't know why he was putting everyone's feelings ahead of his, but his parents taught him right. And he also suspected that Bucky might be a little suspicious that he has been inside Rayna's room for quite some time. But he wanted to give his full attention to Rayna and he could probably deal with it later with no further assumptions.

Noticing the look on Deacon's face, Rayna pondered on the idea that their recent action way over the line. But she didn't understand why Deacon cared about it, she thought he would continue but he didn't. She felt guilty and ashamed at the same time for using Deacon that way. She was a fool trying to play with his emotions because she wanted to forget her own. She promised herself after she got married that she wouldn't get too close to Deacon, because she knew what would happen. Just a single touch or a hug that lingered on a second too long could ignite the spark in them, setting them on fire. She knew he wanted this every bit as much as her but if it was going to happen, they were going to happen right. And this was not right. She is married to another man who deeply loved her and she was not going to break him.

"Sorry, I know. This was a bad idea," she whispered.

"Me too, Ray."

He was starting to retreat, but Rayna caught his arm.

"Deacon, we don't have to continue. But can you stay a little longer?" she pleaded.

Rayna was grateful when he nodded and lay beside her. She rested her head on his chest and put her arm around him. He reached up to hold her hand and kissed her temple.

"Thank you," were the last words she said as they both drifted off to sleep.

"I'm doing alright, Buck. Thank you. Just give me a minute," she answered.

She sat up, the memory of last night's encounter feeling more like a dream than reality until she felt Deacon's hand on her shoulder. She turned back to see Deacon watching her carefully, his face blank, his emotions protected. Rayna knew that he did know whether to look relieved or guilty. To reassure him, she smiled. He smiled back at her, his gaze moving slowly over her half naked body. It had been so easy to ask him to stay with her the night before, but in the light of the morning, she blushed, realizing they were both half-clothed.

"What? Like you haven't seen me before? You've seen more of me," she said in a matter of fact.

"Yeah, but not in your thirties," he teased. But he suddenly realized that he made a wrong choice of words as he saw Rayna's eyes widened in embarrassment. He watched her reach for the covers but he stopped her. "Wait! Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. You're beautiful, honestly, you are Rayna. Why did you think I was staring?"

Rayna relaxed a bit and took Deacon's profile and grinned.

"Well, you don't look pretty bad in your late thirties either then."

They both laughed softly and stood up. Deacon reached for his shirt and started buttoning it and stealing a glance at Rayna, Watching her take her dress from the floor and snaking her way into the tight garment. Feeling his eyes on her, she walked towards him and turned around; she scooped up her hair and twisted it, placing it on the top of her head. Deacon took in the image of her glistening back; he wanted to kiss every inch of her.

He must have felt pretty stupid when Rayna spoke, "Are you gonna zip me up or what?"

After her dress was all adjusted, she let her hair fall and felt Deacon's fingers raking through it, trying to get the rarely there tangles. He noticed her back tense and took a step back.

"Sorry, habit. But you can blame me for touching it when you splash it around everywhere."

She moved towards the door and stopped in her tracks, a horrible realization dawning upon her.

"Do you think Bucky will notice?" she asked Deacon, wide-eyed.

"Don't worry about it," he said and gave her a wink.

She felt herself distancing from her musing as a voice repeatedly hollered her name, bringing her back to reality.

"Rayna! Rayna!" Teddy bellowed out, shaking her shoulders.

"What!?" she exclaimed.


	4. Chapter 4: An Invitation

** Hey! Here's chapter 4 and thank you for the reviews and all the views! Please comment? Any kind of comment is welcome and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: An Invitation**

Teddy narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Something did happen between you and Deacon that night. God Rayna! You had the nerve to get angry with me when you found out but all along you broke your vow! You have some nerve Rayna!"

Rayna stared at him in disbelief. Her temper taking over, she formed her words and attacked with double the force Teddy unleashed. "Don't you dare call me a cheater Teddy! Don't you even dare! But you know what, as long as we're being honest, yeah something happened. But you know what? We stopped. We stopped because I was married. We stopped because we both thought of you. Ain't that crazy? Because he knew you loved me and he knew that I would regret sleeping with him because I would end up breaking your heart. We stopped and nothing happened. I didn't cheat on you that night and on any other day on our marriage!" She let her tears come pouring down. "And I still haven't…"

The resolution to her speech astonished Teddy. He didn't expect her to say something like that. He always thought that the day they got divorced, Rayna would have eventually slept with Deacon.

"I know that you know that I loved Deacon more than you. But I still care about you and I have been grateful to be married by someone who made me feel safe. And I'm grateful for the family we created. And it was always a slap in the face when you would accuse me of cheating because I loved you and I didn't want to hurt you. You're a great man, a great father, and a great husband. You might feel that you were the second choice, but I chose you. I chose you because you gave me something Deacon couldn't. You gave me stability in my life. I didn't have to worry about finding you passed out in some bar and blood all over your face. I didn't have to run around the whole city because you were out somewhere drunk. For that Teddy, I'm grateful."

The two let the silence hang in the air for a moment. Taking each other's time to take in what they have both heard and said. Rayna have never been this honest to Teddy before and she felt even guiltier that she has not been telling the whole truth to him. But she didn't lie either. But Teddy, on the other hand, didn't fall for her tricks. He was too angry to get soften up by her words.

"Yeah, well, it was never enough for you," he spat.

"Wow, Teddy, wow! And you know what? Fine! Live your life being the second choice because you let yourself stay in that position! Don't you ever think that I've tried? 'Cause I did. But to you it was never enough. There were nights when I just wanted to love you. Let you be the only man in my life but you ended up pushing me away. That was you Teddy! That was you. Just admit that no matter how hard we tried, we could never give each other what we deserve. But we both tried and the reason we fell out of this marriage is because we never had enough to build on. We didn't then. We didn't now. But we stayed in it."

Rayna was now covered in tears. She could barely stand on her feet as she used up her strength in unloading the deep truths. She was tired of fighting. She was tired of acting so strong when she was in pieces. She was done pretending that all of this is so easy to walk away from. She let her pride go as she let herself fall on the ground, one hand covering her mouth and the other on the floor keeping her face from hitting the floor. She wasn't ashamed of crying in front of Teddy because she didn't care anymore. She didn't care what he thought anymore.

She stood up and wiped her tears. She stared at Teddy and recomposed herself. "You can show yourself out." She turned around and made her way to the piano room. But before she could make any progress, a hand caught her bicep. "Please, just go." With that, she didn't give him any time for a chance to stop her.

She slammed the door behind her and sat on the bench of the piano. She mindlessly played around the keys and humming the notes. She was too tired to think. All the digging of words from her pile in her mind took a lot in her. She kept banging on the keys as she analyzed every moment that has occurred. She just admitted to Teddy that she still loved Deacon and she probably admitted that to herself too. She knew she loved Deacon but she never really shared it verbally. And Teddy had just admitted that he cheated on Rayna and that he's probably at Peggy's house by now. She continued her tireless banging on the piano until the soft chime of the doorbell broke her train of thoughts.

That's probably the girls, she thought. She made her way to door and opened it. She was greeted by her two daughters, who ran inside and nearly knocked Rayna off her feet. She hugged them and looked up as Tandy was making her way to her car.

"Tandy!" Rayna called out. Once Tandy was at the door, Rayna asked her to stay for a chat.

The girls took this as a cue to go upstairs to their bedroom and start their homework for tomorrow. Rayna and Tandy made their way to the kitchen and sat across each other at the table.

"So… what's up sis?" Tandy asked.

"Teddy came a while ago," Rayna informed. "He came to tell me that he cheated on our anniversary five years ago."

Tandy's eyes grew wide as she took in this information. She could not believe that Teddy actually cheated on her sister. But she knew that Teddy and Peggy were something more than just a normal act of friendship. But she couldn't believe that he actually did it. She was starting to suspect if the magazine rumors of his affair were true but she wasn't sure.

Tandy turned her attention back to her sister, who was mindlessly staring at her wedding ring. "How are you coping?"

Rayna just shrugged, lost in all the events that transpired in one morning. "I don't really know, I thought I would become a mess and holing up in a corner but… I don't know."

"Well, how's the divorce coming along?"

"It's coming along fine but never thought I wanted it so badly until now, to be honest. But I'm also glad that the media hasn't found it out yet, so that's good. But my main concern is the girls. They've been keeping to themselves lately; at least they're not hurting as much as I thought they were going to.

Tandy nodded.

Rayna's phone started ringing, breaking the silence in the room. She looked over the caller ID and scrunched up her nose when she saw Juliette's name in bold print. Tandy looked at the phone and raised an eyebrow egging Rayna on to answer it. Aware of the consequences that might come out of ignoring the blonde diva, she answered the call.

"Hey Rayna!" Juliette greeted with fake enthusiasm that Rayna could detect from a mile away. "So I was wonderin' if you would like to come to Deacon's birthday surprise party. I think it would be really special if you were there."

"Umm…sure," Rayna answered.

"Good, it's at the Bluebird at 8 and if you would like to invite that asshole of a producer Liam, which would be fine, you can. I have a little talk waiting for him. Well, gotta go. Bye."

The line was long dead before she could say goodbye. The confusion was clearly shown on her face as Tandy continued to stare at her.

"What was that all about?" Tandy asked.

"Deacon's having a birthday party," she answered.

"I thought he always watch that _Old Yeller _movie every year."

"So did I," she said. "But apparently he thinks he will be carrying out his plan this year because he doesn't know about it."

"You going?"

"Hell yeah, I would love to see how he'd react to all this."


	5. Chapter 5: I've Got This Friend

**So sorry for the five day wait but my mind has been in procrastination land and my internet won't load the the log in page. But here it is and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 5**

Rayna searched for an empty spot, driving through the rows of the thickset parking lot. She could hear the resonance of the melody coming from the Bluebird as she parked at the very back of the café. Rayna pulled into the back parking lot and slammed the car into park.

"I cannot believe we're late! I probably missed it," Rayna exclaimed, gasping for breath as she raced through the lot.

"Well, I'm sorry. You were the one who practically barged into my house and pulled me out of my couch while I was in the middle of a whiskey shot," Liam said, shaking his head. "I probably need to clean the carpet when I get home."

Rayna suddenly dropped her keys and skidded to a stop but before she could reach for her keys, Liam caught up to her and bent down to grab her keys. Sighing, Rayna got a hold of his arm and pulled him the rest of the way. Rayna opened the door to the cafe and shoved him inside. Stumbling slightly, she caught Liam's arm, the clicking of her hells causing several people in the audience to look back as they hurried in. She stood next to Liam, smiling awkwardly as she unwrapped her arm from his. She made her way to a waitress and took a glass of champagne.

"Rayna! I I'm so happy you made it!" Juliette said, making her way to them with a smile that was a tad too wide for anyone's liking.

"No you aren't," Liam pointed, smirking as he watched Juliette fume.

"You're an ass," Juliette glared at him.

"So…where's the birthday boy?" Rayna asked, breaking the fight before it started as she looked around the room, Deacon nowhere in sight.

"That's why I'm glad you made it," Juliette said, glancing at Liam. "No one can find him. I was hoping you would know."

"Did you try the back?" Rayna asked. She watched as Juliette slapped herself on the forehead at the instant realization. "Don't worry I'll get him." Rayna started to retreat, giggling when she heard World War III initiating between Juliette and Liam.

"You owe me a bean dip!"

"I don't owe you anything!"

Rayna made her way to the back exit and walked outside. Under the moonlight, she exhaled at the cool night breeze and took in the beautiful scenery. The tall dark trees and the blanket of stars were as majestic as it was 20 years ago when she was no more than just another ballad singing songbird.

She looked around and turned the corner, stopping at her tracks and giggling at the sight before her. Deacon is sitting on a bench, eyes fixated on his phone watching _Old_ _Yeller_. She instantly remembered the way he first fell in love with the film. It was his birthday and Rayna dragged him to a showing of _Old Yeller_ for his birthday, he thought it was just another drama nonsense that girls liked. But he didn't have any choice and sat through the whole movie, crying halfway through. After that night, he didn't hesitate to ask her if they could watch it again and again until it became a ritual.

Rayna walked up behind him. Bending down, she rested her arms on his back, her chin on his shoulder. The sudden contact caused Deacon to cock his head at once, his face a dangerous inch from Rayna's. She suddenly regretted her action as he stared at her intensely, sending shivers through her spine; his intoxicating smell was making her head spin.

"Well, this is a surprise," he smirked.

Her breathing hitched as she took in his husky voice. Her knees went weak and she was glad that her current position stabilized her.

"I guess the party didn't stop you from your ritual," she teased, her eyes still on him. Feeling the tension rising through the charts, she straightened herself and sat next to him.

"Nope," he smiled at her. After a few minutes of staring, they resorted to watching the movie. Unconsciously, Rayna leaned into him, her shoulders in contact with his. They both smiled at the memory of this feeling of being together, sharing this moment. It was just like old times that they would be sitting together and watching the classic film.

When the movie ended, Rayna stood up. "Damn it, Deacon!" she exclaimed as she wiped the tears that were forming around her eyes.

Deacon laughed at her vulnerability and shook his head.

"Hey!" Rayna punched him in the shoulder and sat back down next to him. "Who would be so cruel to make a movie like that?" She pointed at his phone and exhaled.

Before Deacon could answer, the back door swung open and slammed the opposing wall. Juliette and her assistant emerged, assisting Jolene as she walked irregularly. Deacon stood up and jogged over to them with Rayna close behind.

"What happened?" Deacon asked, concern masking his face.

"She just relapsed," Juliette said. "I'm taking her home."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, just a bit buzzed."

"What about the song you were going to sing?"

Juliette shrugged, disappointment written all over her face. "See you tomorrow."

Deacon watched as the three walk towards the SUV, lost in his thoughts, remembering how he did the same thing rehab after rehab. He wasn't aware of the time he spent staring at the spot where Juliette's SUV was once parked and was finally interrupted from his memory as he felt Rayna next to him. He looked at her. Her face offered sadness but also hope as she processed the scene that played in front of her.

"C'mon," Rayna soothed, tugging at his bicep. "Everybody is probably waiting for you."

Deacon complied as he followed Rayna and into the Bluebird. Once inside, everybody was caught up in conversation, chatting with their fellow musicians and friends. The couple was separated after a few people pulled Deacon aside to wish him a happy birthday. Feeling a little adrift, Rayna looked around and found Liam talking to a blonde. She watched as Liam leaned in closer to the girl, then gestured to the door. As Liam led her out of the Bluebird, Rayna realized that not only did Liam have her keys, but that he was probably planning to continue his "conversation" in the backseat of her car. Rayna walked around the room, exchanging greetings and hellos. To her relief, she spots Watty a couple of feet away.

"Hey Watty," Rayna greeted.

"Rayna," he nodded, giving his little songbird a hug. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing mighty fine," she said. "You know. Life is good. Throws a little bit of crap but you have to soldier throu-"

Rayna was interrupted by Deacon taking the stage.

"Umm… thank ya'll for a wonderful night. It's really nice to see all my friends tonight and ya'll sure do know how to make a man feel special." He was met with applause and encouragement. "Please, don't do it again." The crowd roared in laughter as Deacon stood awkwardly, flashing around a bashful smile. "Umm…a little scenario. My very friend, Juliette, could not stay and perform her song tonight and we have some time left tonight. But I suspect that ya'll are too drunk to play and I'm the only sober one here tonight…so with a little company…would the great Rayna Jaymes join me for a special performance?"

Rayna's eyes grew wide as she cursed inaudibly. All eyes were on her as they tried to egg her on. Out of desperation to get her out of the limelight, her eyes pleaded with Deacon's. He shook his head and walked towards her. He took her hand and she reluctantly gave in as Deacon led her onstage. Stepping onto the platform, she watched as the workers placed a stool behind her and adjusted the second microphone to her preferable height.

"Hey ya'll," Rayna greeted, her voice booming through the room. She sat on the stool and whispered to Deacon. "What are you thinking of playing?" Deacon gazed into Rayna's eyes and winked at her as he started a riff.

The crowd went wild once they recognized the familiar intro. Rayna laughed nervously and waited for him to sing. "I've got this friend; I don't think you know him. He's not much for words, he's hid in his hardened way." He sang out. "Oh, I've got this friend, a loveless romantic. All that he really wants is someone to love him back." On cue, Rayna harmonized with him, her blue eyes captivating his. "Oh, if the right one came, if the right one came along. Oh, if the right one came along."

Rayna swayed to the beat as she waited for her entrance. "I've got this friend; I don't think you know her. She sings a simple song that sounds a lot like his. Oh, I've got this friend holding onto her heart. Like it's a little secret, like it's all she's got to give."

"Oh, if the right one came, if the right one came along. Oh, if the right one came along." Their voices meshed with each other, creating an art of beauty as it resonated within the bar. The crowd was enchanted by the image in front of them, their eyes never leaving the couple.

"It'll be such a shame _if they never meet. _She sounds lovely. _He sounds right out a dream. _If only," he vocalized. His eyes burned with her intense gaze.

"_If only_," she countered. Their voices danced with each other again as they sang the next line with so much allusion. "If only. Oh, if the right one came, if the right one came along. Oh, _I've got this friend._ If the right one came along. Oh, _I've got this friend. _Oh, if the right one came along."

Tension was in the air as the last chord rang out. The audience was in awe as they concentrated on the pair. Rayna and Deacon took the silence to enter in their own silent musing of the olden days when this song was conceived while they were still in the friend zone. Those were the torturous times when they were so close to each other but hesitated to touch, knowing that that's what they both wanted so badly. Ironically, they stumbled through two decades and found each other in the same state.

Their ride to the castles in the air was disrupted when the crowd gave them a standing ovation. Rayna broke her eye contact with Deacon and beamed at the crowd.

Deacon pulled his truck to a stop outside Rayna's house. Rayna looked up at him, reached over for the keys and turned off the ignition. Rayna turned to face him. She could tell that Deacon was astonished by her daring move.

"How was your birthday?" she asked.

"Just another way of sugar coating that you're a year older," he sighed.

"Yeah, but admit it, you had fun," she teased, tapping his arm.

Deacon raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Well, that song helped a bit."

"Consider it a gift," she said.

"It was a special one," he replied. "Thank you."

Rayna nodded and couldn't help smiling at his contagious cheerfulness. They sat in the small confinement and remained silent, occasionally stealing glances at each other.

"Thanks for the ride," Rayna finally responded, clearing the air as she gathered herself together. Taking his hand, she handed him his keys, gave him a simple kiss on the cheek, then moved to open the door.

Slipping out form the car, she turned back and faced him. "Bye," she said, then turned and headed toward the house.


End file.
